High speed stranding or wire rope machine



Feb. 14, 1939. we. SOMERVILLE HIGH SPEED STRANDING OR WIRE ROP E MACHINE Filed Sept. 26 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb; 14 1939. w. E. SOMERVILLE HIGH SPEED STRANDING OR WiRE ROPE MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1958 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 I reamed Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE autos;

HIGH SPEED STRANDING 0B WIRE ROPE William E. Somervllle, Coal City: Ill.

Application September 20, 1938, Serial No. 231,820

'1 Claims. (01.111-20) This invention relates to improvements in combined stranding and closing machines of high speed type, and one of the objects of the same is to provide an improved high speed machine of this character of the tubular or built up type in which the strand or rope is made from a number of wires or strands which are uncoiled from a series of reels or bobbins mounted within the body of the machine, all disposed along the, axis of the body, and in which machines the strands are twisted or laid at the same point, i. e. in the die head. a

A further object of this invention is to provide in a high speed machine of this character improved means for preventing the wires or strands tures of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the severa1 parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the front part of a machine of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 1A is a view similar to Figure 1 of the rear portion of the machine.

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, as taken on line 2-2-Figure 1A.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 33 Figure 1A.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the universal joint between the sections of the strand guiding tubes.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 66 Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the completed product.

Figure 8 is an end elevation thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates a tubular body rotatable about a horizontal axis and supported for rotation in cradles embodying spaced supporting rollers Ii and a frame l2, any number of which may be provided, according ,to the length of the machine. 1

Within the tubular body is arranged a plurality of additional tubular body portions 13 spaced from each other lengthwise oi the axis of the outer body, and the inner bodies are of diameters considerably less than the internal diameters of the outer bodies so that the two bodies may be rotated at different rates of speed. 5

Each of the inner bodies I! is supported upon axes I mounted in suitable bearings IS. The axis N at one end of the end most body portion 13 is journaled in a bearing ll in the end ll of the outer body portion Ill.

The tubular bodies I! are spaced from each other in directions lengthwise of the axis of the outer body and a shaft 18 journaled in bearings l9 spans the spacebetween the proximate ends of adjacent tubular members i3. Gears 20 on the ends of the shaft mesh with gears 2i secured to the axes M of the inner rotatable tubular body portions I3 so as to transmit motion to the inner tubular bodies.

Mounted in each .of the tubular members II are cradles 22 carrying reels 23.

Each of the tubular body portions l3 constitutes a unit-and the strands from the reels 28 in each of the units pass through the axis of one of the gears 2i as shown at 24. 25

Supported by the outer tubular member ID are pipes or tubes 25 which are adapted for rotation with and with respect to their support.

The tubes are rotated with respect to their support in any desired or suitable manner prefer-g ably by meansof a sprocket chain 26 passing over the gear 21 carried by one of the axes ll of the inner tubular member [3, and also over a sprocket wheel 28 carried by the tube 25 so that when the inner tubular member I3 is rotated about its axis the corresponding tube 25 will also be rotated and at the same rate of speed.

Both of the tubular members are rotated preferably by means of a motor 29, the outer tubular member receiving its motion through the medium of a sprocket chain Ill passing over a sprocket wheel 3| and the inner tubular member receiving its motion through the medium of a sprocket chain 32 passing over a sprocket wheel 33 secured to the axis ll of one of the inner tubular members A variable speed transmission mechanism 34 is interposed between the motor 29 and the tubular members.

As the strands pass over the reels 23 they are threaded through the tubes or pipes 25 which extend lengthwise of and substantially the entire length of the machine from points adjacent the respective reel carriages to the delivery or outlet end of the machine where'they are brought 5;

35 where the strands will be simultaneously laid about each other and twisted.

The twisted strands are advanced by means of a haul-off mechanism embodying a drum 31, mo-

- tion being imparted to the haul-01f mechanism by means of the sprocket 38 passing over a gear 39 on a shaft 40 journaled in-suitable bearings 4| and which shaft is rotated by means of a sprocket chain 42 which passes over a sprocket wheel 43 on the shaft or axis l'4 of one of the inner tubular members I3 and also over a sprocket wheel 44 ontheshaftlll. a

Any number of these inner-tubular members 13 may be provided according to the size of the rope or cable and the number of strands desired in the finished product. In the present exemplification of the invention three are shown.

Arranged also-within the outer tubular member l and in advance of the inner tubular members l3 and cradles 22 are additional reel supporting cradles 45 carrying reels '46. These cradles are supported by suitable bearings 41 and are mounted to be rotated with the outer tubular body "I. The strands or wires 48 from these reels 46 are led through suitable guides 49 to the die head 35 where they are laid around the other strands as the latter are twisted.

The tubes or pipes 25 project for a considerable distance beyond the forward end 50 of the outer tubular body and are sectional in construction beyond said end. The sections are connected to the pipes 25 by means of universal joints from connections 52' so as not to interfere with the rotation of the outer tubular body. These pipes 25 may consist of an outer pipe with any desired number of inner pipes 53 arranged therein, according to the number of strands that it is desired to employ inthe construction of the finished product.

With this improved constructionit will be seen that the strands from the reels 23 will be guided through the pipes 25- and will be maintained against twisting or being laid around each other until they pass out of the pipes through the die s head 35 and to the die 36.

This is accomplished by reason of the fact that although the pipes 25 are supported for bodily rotation with the outer tubular members Ill they will give an independent rotation with respect thereto by reason of the driving connections between the pipes and the inner tubular members l3. These two parts are adapted to be rotated at the same rate of speed about their respective axes while the outer tubular body portion l0 may be rotated at a different rate of speed.

Any degree or ratio of speed between the inner and outer tubular members may be provided but in thepre'sent exemplification of this invention provision is made for rotating them at a ratio of two to one.

The strands from the reels 23 passover pulleys 13a, and being maintained against twisting and of being wrapped or twisted around each other until they pass to the die head renders it possible to also twist or lay around the twisted strands from the reels 23, the strands 48 from the reels 46 to produce the product shown in Figures 7 and 8.

This machine is adapted for producing specially shaped strands and may also be operated so as to produce the ordinary strand, all of the I i v 2,147,066 together to a, die head 35 to pass through a die a high rate of speed, at the desired relative ratio of speed rotation, while the pipes or tubes which lead or guide the strands through the tubular body portions to the die head are geared to rotate at the samerate of speed as the inner tubular or reel carrying body members. If desired, the forward end of the body l0 may be maintained iln position by a roller Ila arranged in a housing lb and which roller co-operates with the adjacent rollers ll, While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a tubular body mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, means for rotating said body at a high rate of speed, a plurality of rotatable tubular bodies disposed within the first said body and longitudinally spaced from each other, cradles in the inner body, wire carrying reels mounted in said cradles, shafts spanning the space between the ends of the cradles, driving connec- ,tions between the shafts and the respective ends of the cradles, tubular members extending lengthwise of the outer tubular body rotatable with respect thereto and at the same speed as the inner body and through which the strands from the reels pass, for maintaining the strands against twisting, a die to which the strands are directed from said tubular members, additional reels carried within the outer tubular body,, a haul 01f reel, all of the said strands passing through said die to the haul oif reel, and means for rotating the haul off reel. I

2. In a machine of the character described, a tubular body mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, means for rotating said body at a high rate of speed, a plurality of rotatable tubular ,bodies disposed within the first said body and a I directed from said tubular members, additional reels carried within the outer tubular body, a haul off reel, all of the said strands passing through said die to the haul off reel, means for rotating the haul ofi reel, said tubular members projecting beyond said bodies, the projecting portion of the tubular members comprising sections, connected together by a universal joint.

3. In a machine of the character described a horizontally disposed tubular body rotatable at a high rate of speed, a tubular body within and mounted to rotate on an axis coinciding with the axis of the outer body, reel cradles in the inner body, tubular members supported by and rotatable with respect to the outer body and at the same speed as the inner body and through which member the strands from -the said reels pass for maintaining the strands against twisting, an

additional reel cradle mounted in and for rotaing the strands about each other.

4. In a machine of the character described, a tubular body mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, means for rotating said body at a high rate of speed, a plurality of rotatable tubular bodies disposed within the first said body and longitudinally spaced from each other, cradles in the inner body, wire carrying reels mounted in said cradles, shafts spanning the space between the ends of the cradles, driving'conneotions between the shafts and the respective ends of the cradles, tubular members extending lengthwise of the outer tubular body rotatable with respect thereto and at the same speed as the inner body and through which the strands from the reels pass, for maintaining the strands against twisting, a die to which the strands are directed from said tubular members, additional reels carried within the outer tubular body, a haul off reel, all of the 'said strands passing through said die to the haul ofl reel, means for rotating the haul off reel, and means for rotating said tubular bodies at a predetermined ratio of speed.

5. In a machine of the character described, a tubular body mounted to rotate about a horizontal .axis, means for rotating said body at a high rate r of speed, a, plurality of rotatable tubular bodies disposed within the first said body and longitudinally spaced from each other, cradles in the inner body, wire carrying reels mounted in said cradles, shafts spanning the space between the ends of the cradles, driving connections between the shafts and the respective ends of the cradles, tubular members extending lengthwise of the outer tubular body rotatable with respect thereto and at the same speed as the inner body through which the strands from the reels pass,

for maintaining thestrands against twisting, a die to which the strands are directed from said tubular members, additional'reels carried within the outer tubularbody, a haul oflf reel, all of the said strands passing through said die to the haul off reel, means for rotating the haul ofi reel, said tubular members projecting beyond said bodies,

the projecting portions of the tubular members comprising sections, connected together by a univ and rotatable therewith, and means for maintaining the strands against twisting or being laid around each other until they reach the said die.

7. In a machine of the character described embodying a tubular body rotatable at a high rate of speed, reel carrying cradles within and rotatable with respect to said body, tubular members supported by the said body and rotatable .with respect thereto and at the'same rate of speed as the cradles, additional cradles supported by and within the outer body for rotation therewith, all of said strands being brought together at the die to be simultaneously twisted or laid around each other. 

